Stationary Wrist Shot

Home , Defenceman, Ice hockey stick, Shot (ice hockey)

This is the most commonly used shot in hockey. The player can generate more power when the bottom hand is placed further down allowing more flex on the shaft. The wrist shot is extremely accurate and can be released quickly. It is important to take a number of reps to get used to transferring weight from the back leg to the front leg.

Rationale The home site works really well if you have a net or shooter tutor. Green pucks work really well off asphalt or cement. If you have a piece of plastic, you can shoot standard black pucks off it. It is a good idea to shoot with a stick that is a couple of inches shorter if you are in running shoes. You may use the same size stick as on ice if you are standing on 2x6’s or wearing rollerblades. Wobble boards, rebounders and stacked up cinder blocks imitating targets will help increase shooting accuracy.

Progressions 1. Cinder block targets 2. Both feet facing the target 3. Standing up on 2x6’s using on ice height stick 4. Receive backhand shoot forehand 5. Knock puck down 6. Wobble boards 7. 1 foot wobble board

Key Teaching Points Make sure to have a good knee bend with proper flex in your stick. Keep your head up and transfer weight from your back foot to your front foot. Work at generating flex into your stick when front facing the target. Change the angles and shoot for accuracy.

Wrist Shot in Motion

This is the most commonly used shot in hockey and important to deliver when in stride. The wrist shot is extremely accurate and can be released quickly. It is important to take a number of reps to develop a feel for when to release the puck. The puck placement is more in front of the stance and not pulled back prior to releasing the shot.

Rationale Abandoned Parking Lots are ideal for working on this skill as a smooth surface will allow players to shoot in stride with ease. The green shooting puck works well in this environment and helps the player keep their head up when shooting in motion. The red hockey ball is a great alternative. It will be a little more lively but simulates what happens when the ice gets choppy. Look around your house for obstacles such as garbage cans, blocks of wood or old hockey sticks attached to pylons. When providing moving obstacles, you can use skateboards, rollerblades or simply a person running towards a player. You do not need to be able to ride a Ripstick or unicycle. Athleticism is important to developing strong hockey players. The more versatile you are in sports the easier it will be to perform these skills.

Progressions 1. Attempt to shoot off either foot while in motion 2. Set up obstacles to help with keeping your head up 3. Include a passer for a give and go, or to provide multiple passes to shoot from different angles

Key Teaching Points Players need to keep their head up. Using a stick that has the appropriate flex for them, they need to learn to shoot off either foot. Get in the habit of skating towards the net after taking the shot for a rebound. Use a shorter stick when shooting from your running shoes or same size stick for on ice if using roller blades.

Stationary Snap Shot

The snap shot is like the wrist shot with the exception of the blade of the stick being pulled slightly away from the puck just prior to the shot being taken. There are two basic types of snap shots. The first has the stick being pulled slightly away from the puck. As the stick moves forward, a quick snap of the wrist propels the puck. The second type has the puck drawn toward the body and released with a quick snap of the wrists.

Rationale A parking lot or home site are great locations for practicing snap shots. The off ice plan includes three sections dedicated to the variations of snap shots. This aims to add a variety of ways to shoot the puck on goal, while working on coordination, fakes and accuracy. Hockey balls, green pucks and black pucks off plastic are all great ways of shooting on goal. Use a stick that is a couple inches shorter if shooting from runners. Use a regular ice hockey stick when using rollerblades.

Progressions 1. One time snap shot around obstacle 2. Front facing shots, both feet facing target 3. Pull in half slap with roller blades 4. Snap shot from toe of stick 5. Multi puck/ball shooting 6. Stick to your skate and shoot 7. Backhand snap shot 8. Backhand snap shot outside of crease and elevate 9. Knockdown with stick and glove and shoot

Key Teaching Points Players should have a good knee bend. Practice shooting from a variety of positions to feel comfortable with finding the flex point of the stick. Players should keep their head up so they can see the target. Work on a variety of ways to deliver the snap shot on goal. This will allow the player to choose what will work best for them in any given situation during a game.

Snap Shot Quick Release

The snap shot is an extremely effective way of shooting on goal. Over the years, players have improved their ability of snapping the puck on goal mainly due to the increased flexibility they find in sticks these days. There are a variety of ways to shoot them on the net. In the first video, players are demonstrating one timers; pulling the puck into their body, front facing, half slap before pulling and shooting on goal. In order to master all of these skills, players must have a lot of core strength, coordination and time.

Rationale The parking lot is a great setting for players to rollerblade or run with speed when attempting this move. Players need to keep their head up and practice faking their backhand shot. Subtle moves can be made using stick, hands, shoulder or head movement. Each one of these moves need to be practiced a number of times before they will appear convincing.

Progressions 1. Add in an obstacle allowing players to make a move in either direction 2. Provide back pressure to increase the speed of the shooter 3. Give and go play makes the drill more game-like 4. Pull puck to skate back to stick and shoot on goal

Key Teaching Points To start, practice the move in a stationary stance. Players need to have their head up with a good knee bend. Work towards flexing the stick when striking the puck. Deliver the puck out at the side, in front of the player and while in stride. Learn to pull the puck into your body to help shoot the puck off the toe of their stick.

Stationary Backhand Shot

The backhand wrist shot is often used when the player is shooting inside the slot on the goaltender. The benefits of this shot is that it is more challenging for the goaltender to pick it up off the players stick than a traditional wrist shot. When shooting low, there is a short follow through by turning the blade over and downward as it’s released. When shooting high, there is often a quick snap of the wrists while turning the blade upward. The longer the follow through, the higher the shot.

Rationale This shot can be easily performed at a home site or on a parking lot. Shooting on a net will develop accuracy. It is important to shoot at all different angles and work at both shooting the puck low and high. Remember to use a shorter stick when shooting from running shoes. Roller blades simulate shooting off skates, so use the same size stick that you would for playing on ice.

Progressions 1. Elevate the puck when in tight on the goal 2. Run or skate back receive puck on backhand and shoot 3. Shots from the outside

Key Teaching Points Make sure to have a good knee bend with your head up. Transfer the weight from your back foot to your front foot when shooting the puck. Work at shooting from the heel of your stick blade towards specific areas to increase accuracy. Change angles when shooting at the net.

Moving Slap Shot

The slap shot in motion carries the most speed as it has momentum from carrying the puck forward. The puck is moved slightly in front of the player’s body. Here, the weight is transferred to the front foot, while the player begins to glide as they take the shot. By striking the ice behind the puck, the stick will flex and create a force that will propel the puck. Practicing this drill is important as it takes coordination and is easily interfered with by the opposition if performed too slowly.

Rationale The parking lot is a great setting for players to roller blade or run with speed when attempting this move. Players need to keep their head up and practice striking a number of projectiles ranging from pucks to road hockey balls. This variety of items will help players as they transition to the ice where the ice may be rough causing the puck to bounce. The at home site is great to work on repetition with the inclusion of more obstacles. Setting up obstacles to shoot through helps the player keep their head up to see what’s available to shoot at.

Progressions 1. Give and go passes to the shooter 2. Place an obstacle in the parking lot to shoot around or through 3. Perform a fake shot, push the puck to a different angle and shoot on goal 4. Simulate dragging the puck across the blue line and shooting like a defenceman in a game

Key Teaching Points Have a good flex and proper sized stick to help propel the puck on goal. If you are in running shoes use a stick that is a couple of inches shorter to simulate shooting on ice. When using rollerblades, the same size stick as on ice will work. Keep your head up to see where to shoot on goal. With time, increase speed and apply back pressure.

Shooting - Shoot off Front Foot

Players need to be comfortable with shooting off either foot in motion with speed and accuracy. Work from all different angles when going in and shooting in on goal. It takes multiple reps to get comfortable with shooting the puck in stride. Players should load the puck near the centre line of the body to optimize stick flex.

Rationale A driveway setting is a good place to work on this skill. Players can take a couple of strides on the rollerblades or a couple of steps on their shoes. Once comfortable, progress to adding in obstacles to challenge the player to keep their head up. This will require them to deliver their shot off in traffic. Parking lots have players moving with more speed and openings. Adding in moving obstacles helps players get their heads up and ready to shoot in stride.

Progressions 1. Put a series of obstacles out and practice shooting around each one off your front foot 2. Count your steps or strides and shoot the puck off a different number each time 3. Add in give and go situations with another player or rebounder 4. Shoot off the front foot with your backhand 5. Perform a fake prior to shooting on goal

Key Teaching Points Players should pull the puck towards the body before they shoot off the front foot or front rollerblade. Make sure they keep their head up and look at the goal while learning to shoot off either foot. Skate towards the net after taking the shot for a possible rebound.

Shooting While Under Pressure

Players need to be able to get shots off in high traffic areas on the ice in games. It is important to practice getting your head up, maintain control of the puck and get the shot off while keeping your feet moving. Players should work on positioning their body in between themselves and a defender while delivering fakes to increase time and space. Maintain a solid hockey stance to absorb contact and to be able to get the shot off.

Rationale The ability to move with speed and shield the puck from defenders will take time and practice. These drills work well in driveways or in larger parking lots. Driveways with obstacles are ideal for players to work on reading and reacting in small spaces. This simulates battles that take place in small area games on the ice. Working in parking lots will allow players to increase their speed and introduce moving passive checkers in the fold. The ability to drive wide in either direction will help players get into spaces that challenge opposing goaltenders.

Progressions 1. Go around the obstacle or defender while maintaining the puck with one hand 2. Include a rebounder or passer to make for a give and go before shooting 3. Try to perform the drill on the opposite hand of your stick to increase coordination and hand-eye 4. Apply back pressure to increase the speed and urgency of the player handling the puck. 5. Add additional obstacles that you can shoot through on goal like a tire.

Key Teaching Points Players need to keep the puck protected at a distance from the obstacles. Get into a shooting position either before or after passing the obstacles. Work at being able to open up your hips to ride the edges on your roller blades or changing direction on your shoes.

Fake Forehand Shoot Backhand

Players need to be able to score on goalies in a number of ways. Being deceptive with a good fake shot on their forehand will give the player an opportunity to open the goalie for a scoring chance on their backhand. This move is often used when deking a goalie but can also be used when shooting outside the crease in the slot. When deking the goalie, it is important to elevate the puck to catch the goalie out of position. This can also be used when driving in from either side and shooting to the near or far side of the net.

Rationale The parking lot is a great setting for players to roller blade or run with speed when attempting this move. Players need to keep their head up and practice faking their backhand shot. Subtle moves can be made with stick, hand, shoulder or head movement. Each one of these moves need to be practiced a number of times to look convincing.

Key Teaching Points To start, practice the move in a stationary stance. Exaggerate the fake to make sure you can make it look convincing with time. Keep your head up to see that the net is open on the forehand side. With time, increase speed and apply back pressure. Make sure to elevate the puck in tight on the goaltender.

Fake Backhand Shoot Forehand

Players need to be able to score on goalies in a number of ways. Being deceptive with a good fake shot on their backhand will give the player an opportunity to open the goalie for a scoring chance on their forehand. This move is often used when deking a goalie but can also be used when shooting outside the crease. Players may opt to use this move to open up a defenceman and shoot through their legs as a screen. This can also be used when driving in from either side and shooting to the near or far side of the net.

Rationale The parking lot is a great setting for players to rollerblade or run with speed when attempting this move. Players need to keep their head up and practice faking their backhand shot. Subtle moves can be made using stick, hand, shoulder or head movement. Each one of these moves need to be practiced a number of times to look convincing.

Moving Shooting Change Angle Entries

Players need to be able to make time and space to increase their chance of scoring. Keeping the opposition guessing on route to shooting on net will help your chances. A player should be able to fake and send the puck through the defender’s stick or legs when attacking the offensive zone. Keeping their head up will allow the player to see what’s available in front of them. Once they have gone around the target, the player should be able to shoot off either skate.

Rationale The parking lot is a great setting for players to rollerblade or run with speed when attempting this move. Players need to keep their head up and practice faking to the side. Subtle moves can be made using stick, hand, shoulder or head movement. Each one of these moves needs to be practiced a number of times before they will look convincing. The obstacle resting on the pylons represents a defender’s skates or stick. The player needs to be in a strong hockey stance as they will often be bumped on their way to the net in a game. Being able to shoot off either skate while off balance will improve their chances of getting a good shot on net.

Progressions 1. Add in an obstacle that has a hockey stick extended 2. Provide back pressure to increase the speed of the shooter 3. Give and go play makes the drill more game-like 4. Include a coach providing passive pressure to make it more game like

Key Teaching Points To start, practice the move in a stationary stance. Exaggerate the fake to make it look convincing with time. Keep your head up to see that the net is open on the forehand side. With time, increase speed and apply back pressure. Practice going down either side of the parking lot taking it wide and to the middle on both sides.

Individual Offensive Tactics: Shooting Fakes

Players need to have a number of skills if they want to score regularly in games. This drill includes driving wide on the left and right side. They will also work on faking, going through obstacles and performing tight turn sequences. These are a variety of offensive zone entries that will keep the defensive team on their toes if executed properly. The player needs to keep their head up to see what is presented in front of them in the offensive zone.

Rationale The parking lot is a great setting for players to roller blade or run with speed when attempting this move. Players need to keep their head up and practice driving wide in either direction in the offensive zone. They need to perform subtle moves using stick, hand, shoulder or head movement. The tight turn move is effective at making time and space allowing players to find an opening when driving the goal. Each one of these moves need to be practiced a number of times before they will appear convincing.

Progressions 1. Add in an obstacle allowing players to make a move in either direction 2. Provide back pressure to increase the speed of the shooter 3. Give and go plays makes the drill more game-like 4. Skate out of the corner to attack the net

Key Teaching Points Players need to be able to be able to change speed and accelerate when driving wide in the offensive zone. They need to be able to exaggerate the fake to make it look convincing with time. Increase speed and apply back pressure with time in the drill. Players should be able to shoot the puck at all angles and elevate the puck in tight on the goaltender.

Scoring Entries: Pull In Push Out

Players need to get used to pulling and pushing the puck. This allows them to change angles and move the puck away from defenders. Players will pull the puck in using a toe drag or move the puck on their backhand on one side of the obstacle. Players will push the puck out on the opposite side and shoot on goal.

Rationale The parking lot is a great setting for players to rollerblade or run with speed when attempting this move. Players need to keep their head up and practice pulling and pushing the puck on either side of the obstacles. The ability to pull the puck with the toe or backhand of your stick takes time and practice.

Key Teaching Points To start, practice the move in a stationary stance. Keep your head up to ensure the net is open on the forehand side. With time, increase speed and apply back pressure. Players need to work on shooting in stride. Make sure to elevate the puck in tight on the goaltender.

Stick Through Legs Flip Shot

This move is often used when deking a goalie, the player approaches from the side of the net they cut in front of the crease, they bring the puck and stick between the legs and flip a shot on goal. When deking the goalie, it is important to elevate the puck to catch the goalie out of position. This can also be used when driving in from either side and shooting to the near or far side of the net.

Rationale The home site is great for working on a number of repetitions in tight. The parking lot is a great setting for players to rollerblade or run with speed when attempting this move. Players need to keep their head up to see what is part of the net is open. Rollerblades simulate the feel for the ice when delivering this move. Subtle moves can be made using stick, hand, shoulder or head movement. This move is extremely challenging and can be broken up into a number of sequences.

Key Teaching Points To start, practice the move in a stationary stance. Players need to open up their stance to allow the puck and stick to travel in between their legs. Keep your head up to see what part of the net is open. Increase speed and apply back pressure with time in the drill. Make sure to elevate the puck in tight on the goaltender.

Appendix: Key Notes To Videos

Green Text refers to scenes using Green Biscuit Pucks for Shooting and Passing Red Text refers to scenes using Road Hockey Balls for Shooting and Passing White Text refers to scenes using a Soccer Ball for Deflecting, Shooting and Passing Black Text refers to scenes using Black Pucks for Defecting, Shooting and Passing

Equipment

Sticks (Types of sticks that can be used off ice training) Stationary Shooting, Puckhandling & Passing

1. Standing on 2x6’s is an excellent way for players to simulate being at the proper height when handling the puck. Players are roughly 2 inches taller when wearing skates. 2. Wobble boards are excellent in providing instability for the players when performing their skill. This simulates gameplay as players have to be able to make passes, handle the puck and shoot off balance. There are several different types on the market. Some are one unit. Those used in the video are two separate units. Both are great for increasing core strength, balance and coordination. 3. Standing on tennis balls will elevate players up an inch or two and also provide some instability like wobble boards. Players can use the same height stick they would use on the ice. 4. (Alternative) Use a stick that you have outgrown by a couple of inches when shooting, passing or handling the puck or ball. 5. Floorball Sticks are an excellent way to get players in a hockey stance with a deep knee bend. The height of the floorball stick should have the handle in line with the belly button.

Pucks (Types of pucks and balls that can be used off ice training) Moving Shooting, Puckhandling & Passing

1. Rollerblades keep players at the same height as you would be on ice. You could use the same height stick you use on ice.

Puck (Types of shooting aids used during off ice training)

Felt, Blue or Traditional Pucks can be used on Smooth Non-Brushed Cement surfaces. These surfaces may include unfinished basements, covered carports and dry floor arenas.

Red hockey balls can be used on all surfaces. They generally don’t bounce as much but give some bounce that would simulate players having to deal with rough ice and the puck coming up on end.

Tennis balls will have more bounce but will help players.

Sourcing The majority of these drills were taken from the Hockey Canada Network App (https://www.hockeycanadanetwork.com) and transformed for off ice skill development. Many of the explanations are either paraphrased or quoted directly from the app’s explanation for the drill itself. Many of the drills explanations come from the Skills of Gold series. The main reason for using these explanations are that they have been vetted by Hockey Canada. These training plans have been produced for on ice use and will be included BC Hockey Return to Play On Ice Plan.